James m



(NoModeL) J. M. ROSSE,

CHAIN PROPELLER.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

JAMES M. ROSSE, OF TARRYTOYVN, NEW YORK.

CHAlN-PROPELLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 254 ,C51, dated February 21, 1882 4 Application tiled November 21, I881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

- Be it known that I, JAMEs M. RossE, ofTarrytown,'county of Westchester, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Paddles for Boats, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention has relation to the construction and arrangement of paddles or paddlebuckets intended to be used for propelling boats or floating vessels of any character 5 and it has for its object the production of a simple, cheap, and effective form of paddle or bucket, of which sort any number may be'joined or linked together, forming a continuous chain of buckets capable of presenting an extended bearing-surface to the water, (the same whether moving backward or forward), of leaving the water easily and with little waste of-power, affordin g increased propelling effect with a mini mum of disturbance or washing, and of such character as to be little liable to getv out of order. 7

To accomplish all of this the invention involves certain novel and useful peculiarities of construction, relative arrangements or combination of parts, and principles of operation, all of which will be herein first fully described, and then pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, formingpart of this specificatiom'Figure 1 is a perspective View showing one of my improved paddlebuckets, the sides of which are of substantially equal width throughout and Fig. 2, a similar view, wherein the sides are made gradually tapering in form. Figs. 3 and 4 are perspective views illustrating the manner and means of uniting severalbuckets to form a chain, such as it is intended to use. Fig. 5 is a side elevation, and Fig. 6 a top or plan view, indicating the most approved manner of mounting the chain of buckets upon revolving wheels; and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of two adjacent buckets in inclined position with respect to each other, all of which are regarded as sufficient to illustrate the character and scope of the invention, and, in connection with the fol-' lowing explanations, to enable others skilled in the art to practice and use the same. In these several figures like letters of reference, wherever they occur, ind icatecorresponding parts.

A A are the sides, and B the end, of the bucket, preferably, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, composed of a single piece; but-0t course they might be "madein parts, asindicated in Fig. 7, and these united in any suitable, strong, and substantial manner. Any suitable material may be employed in their construction. The buckets so formed are intended to be united so as to form a chain, the end ot'one bucketclosing the opening between the sides of the bucket adjoining it, forming, when the chain is completed, a series of rectangular boxes open at top and bottom for dipping into the water.

In Fig. 7 the grooves E, formed by flanges F, receive the cross-piece. The buckets are perforated at the front for the passage of the axles O (1, which serve not only to unite them properly in the chain or system, but also to support the chain upon the wheels and to communicate the driving-power to the system of buckets. The axles U G are located midway between the tops and bottoms of the buckets, so that the pressure of water on the ends B will have no tendency to force the bucket out of its proper direction, and so that'the chain will be equally effective in backward as in forward movements. The axles project through the sides of the buckets a sufficient distance to bear upon the peripheries of the wheels D D, upon which the chain is mounted. These wheels are shown as solid and as having notches at suitable intervals for thereception of the projecting ends of axles (J. The wheels might be made up of a series of radial arms calculated to receive the axles O and to communicate motion to the chain of buckets.

Power is communicated to the wheels D by any desired means, and through these it is transmitted to the continuous chain of buckets, which by contact withthe water serves to propel the vessel.

The axles C are kept in proper place by a nut, as at c, or by any equivalent means, and they are so arranged as to admit of being easily removed in order that any bucket may be detached for repairs or replacement, if required.

The housing of the system of paddles is not shown, because it forms no essential part of the invention.

The system may be applied to any style of vessel, large or small, and is well adapted for use upon catamarans, being thereon preferably located between the halls.

A consideration of the construction and arrangement above described will show that the chain of paddles entering the water lll aiford an exten'ied bearng-surface perpendicular to the line of motion; the buckets, when in the water, remain tilled; they enter the water freely and leave it with equal facility, and they are equally efl'ective and similarly operative when moving in either direction. The continuous chain so constituted is moreover advantageous in this, that it prevents violentdisturbance of the water, and is therefore especially well adapted for use in canals or situations wherein it may be desired to obviate washing ot'the banks.

The buckets with recta-ingular side walls are preferred in cases in which more powerful effects are desired, and the other forms when more rapid movement is contemplated.

However the sides of the buckets are to be formed, they must be connected in the system so that the draft from one bucket to the other will be on a line perpendicular to the-front and passing through a point midway between the top and bottom thereof. The system, as shown, dispenses with any additional side chains or belts, and the axes are so near to the fronts of the buckets as not to interfere with the passage of any debris, 850., which will ordinarily be met with. The axis of any one bucket is inside of its front, so that the next bucket, secured upon that axis, will be caused to enter the water with its front substantially vertical or presenting its edge to the water, and so on for each bucket; and all the buckets are made to leave the water in the same substantially vertical direction, thereby saving in power, as will be easily understood.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The box paddle-bucket having parallel sides and an end or cross piece substantially at right angles with said sides, of equal width therewith, and having an axle-projection on each side close to thejunction of the parallel sides with the cross piece or end, said axle-projectionsheing located midway between top and bottom of the bucket, sn"'stantially as shown and described.

2. The chain of paddles herein described, consisting of buckets having side wings at rightanglesto the float, and projectionsextending from the ends of the float or side of the arms, to which projections the succeeding buckets are pivoted about midway of their height, thereby forming a series of inclosures composed wholly of thebuckets and side pieces, substaw tially as described.

3. In combination with the wheels D D, the chain of paddles herein described, consisting of buckets having side wings at right angles 65 to the float and projections extending from the ends of the float, or side of the arms, to which projections the succeeding buckets are pivoted about midway of their height, thereby forming a series of inclosures composed wholly of the buckets and side pieces, said chain of paddles being mounted upon the wheels, and the whole constructed and arranged to operate substantially as herein shown and described.

' In testimony that I claim the foregoing I 75 have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES M. ROSSE.

Witnesses SAM. S. LEWIS, WM. D. HUMPHREYs. 

